Naruto: Call of Cthulhu

"Itachi."

"Itachi?"

Hearing Orochimaru's voice by his ear, he finally came to his senses.

"Did you think of something just now?"

Faced with Orochimaru's question, Itachi merely shook his head.

"It's nothing."

Orochimaru gave him a meaningful glance and continued, "And three years ago, Danzo conducted a large-scale search operation within the Land of Fire."

"As far as I know, he was also looking for a creature called Mi-Go."

"The Mi-Gos were another highly intelligent extraterrestrial race. They arrived on this world millions of years ago and waged a brief war with the Elder Things."

"The outcome of this war was a stalemate between the two races, but it also accelerated the demise of the Elder Things."

"Itachi."

"Konoha has always known about the existence of Cthulhu and extraterrestrial races, but they have never made it public."

"They constantly talk about village, family, and comrades, yet they are unwilling to share this information and let the public know the truth."

"Konoha is just a village where hypocrites gather. But you are different from those people, Itachi. You chose to escape Konoha, just like me."

"Because you are a smart person who views these hypocritical words as burdens."

"As long as we join forces, we can reveal the hidden truths behind this world and find the unique door of truth in this universe."

"Join me!"

"Itachi!"

Orochimaru's tone grew more fervent, the edges of his eyes gradually developing a frenzied bloodshot look, and his outstretched arms seemed to be waiting for Itachi to throw himself into his embrace.

However, to Itachi, this version of Orochimaru was not much different from the fervent followers of Kojiro. It was just that he seemed slightly more rational and retained a human form—that was all.

Regardless, he would never join Orochimaru, becoming a mad seeker of truth in pursuit of the so-called reality.

He also knew that he hadn't completely abandoned his village, family, and comrades as Orochimaru claimed. Perhaps it was precisely because he believed in the village that he chose to sacrifice himself and his family.

"I refuse."

"What did you say?"

Orochimaru's expression was one of disbelief, as he had thought that once he saw Itachi's confused look, recruiting him would be a done deal.

But Itachi gave him the wrong answer.

This left him very disappointed, and his outstretched arms drooped down.

"You heard me; I don't want to repeat myself."

Having said that, Itachi walked away.

As he stood there, Orochimaru's expression shifted from disappointment to unwillingness. He slightly gritted his teeth, and a large snake slowly slithered down from his sleeve.

At that moment, Itachi suddenly stopped, not turning back as he said, "Orochimaru, did you know a dark-skinned humanoid entity among the Great Old Ones?"

This sudden question left Orochimaru momentarily stunned, a playful smile appearing on his lips again.

"I don't know, Itachi."

Seeing that Orochimaru couldn't give a clear answer, Itachi no longer lingered and left directly.

As he watched Itachi's departing figure, the large snake that was supposed to fly out of Orochimaru's sleeve slowly retracted.

"This has become interesting."

---

A month later, at the Akatsuki's gathering, Pain calmly announced the news as usual.

"Orochimaru betrayed Akatsuki and ran away."

Beside him, Sasori gritted his teeth and said angrily, "Hmph, I knew that guy was unreliable, putting his personal matters before the organization."

The personal matters that he referred to were, of course, Orochimaru's secret dealings with the other Sannin from Konoha four years ago.

Although Pain had forgiven Orochimaru's actions at that time, Sasori still held a grudge.

"While I don't want to let Orochimaru escape, Akatsuki's members are still too few."

As Pain spoke, Zetsu immediately chimed in, "Me! Me! Let me join!"

But before Pain could respond, Sasori immediately barked, "Get out of the way!"

"Yes."

Zetsu lowered his head and left.

After scolding Zetsu, Sasori continued, "Leave Orochimaru to me; his subordinate Kabuto is just like a puppet in my hands. I'll quickly find his hiding place."

His initiative was also due to his long-standing disdain for Orochimaru, but Pain temporarily shelved Sasori's proposal.

"Don't rush; I already have leads on your partner. Let's talk after he joins."

"And regarding Itachi's companion, I'll find a way soon."

"That's all; you're dismissed."

Retrieving the control signal, Nagato slowly sat up from the signal transmitter.

"Nagato, is it really okay to let Orochimaru go like this?" Konan asked worriedly.

"Cough, cough."

Seeing Nagato cough, Konan immediately stepped forward to pat his back.

"Hmm, right now, Akatsuki doesn't have enough personnel to spare to search for him."

"That guy is very cunning. Even if there's an undercover as Sasori said, it won't be easy to find him in a short time."

"Moreover, the initial purpose of recruiting Orochimaru into Akatsuki was to gain his research capabilities."

"Now that we have obtained the merged modified cells of the Deep Ones and White Zetsu, Orochimaru's choice to leave the organization at this time shows that he knows his place."

"However, such a betrayal of the organization cannot be tolerated."

"Cough, cough."

Having said a lot in one breath, Nagato started coughing again.

Konan patiently patted Nagato's back while saying, "Nagato, your health..."

"Don't worry. I will definitely not die before we achieve our ideals."

"I promise!"

---

In the vast, desolate desert, two tall camels were slowly carrying two figures draped in enormous cloaks.

These figures, one in front and one behind, had their faces covered by thick collars, preventing sand from entering their respiratory systems and making it impossible for others to see their faces.

In this desert, known as the Demon Desert by Suna, one could see sun-dried animal bones and dead plants everywhere. Death's breath filled this place, where few humans dared to tread.

It was common to see the remnants of buildings left by the ancestors of the Land of Wind. But time and harsh conditions had turned this place into forbidden ground, a taboo zone where ordinary people could not venture.

The level of restriction here was even higher than that of the Forest of Death in Konoha. There, death was swift and decisive.

But in the Demon Desert, only loneliness and despair accompanied you. The sand and wind slowly drained life from even the strongest body, leaving only bones as warnings to future generations.

But even in this deadly desert, something valuable remained hidden.

The two travelers rode their camels, following ancient writings left by their predecessors in search of a mystery that had remained veiled for thousands of years.

At last, their perseverance paid off. Before them lay their destination.

The lead rider lowered his collar, a wicked smile playing on his lips.

"I finally found you."

"The Nameless City!"

---

Kagami, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them, coming out of his spider's-eye vision as a brief signal came from a distant, desolate place.

"Ah, someone has finally found it."

A faint, satisfied smile appeared on his face. As for who had discovered that place, he could probably guess.

---

The area was so remote that it was rarely visited by anyone. Other than by chance encounter, one could only find this place by following the guidance in the Necronomicon

The map, though devoid of place names, held secrets in its topography. Anyone who studied it closely enough would eventually determine its location.

When Orochimaru finally arrived, he knew instantly that this was the city mentioned in the Necronomicon. 

From a distance, he saw the city across the yellow sands, like half a corpse clawing its way out of a crude tomb.

Although many ruins were in the Demon Desert, he could tell at a glance that the age of these ruins far surpassed all the others. This city was ancient enough to be the great-great-grandfather of the other ruins.

It may have existed when the nearby riverbed, now just a dry hollow, was still full of life.

The city had once flourished but had been worn down by the passage of time and the relentless desert sands, leading to its inevitable decay.

Yet, despite its decline, the secrets hidden within this place were worth exploring.

Orochimaru and a traveler wearing glasses set up a simple shelter near the entrance to the Nameless City to shield themselves from the scorching sun and fierce winds, taking a brief rest.

"Orochimaru-sama, do you think this city is truly cursed, as the legends say?" the bespectacled traveler asked.

"Kabuto, sometimes human reason is a burden. When dealing with certain mysteries, you cannot maintain purely rational thinking."

"Otherwise, you'll never find the true answer."

"Or, your rigid rationality will shatter the moment you glimpse the truth."

As the last rays of the setting sun cast their glow, Orochimaru opened the Necronomicon.

Kabuto silently watched, eyes filled with curiosity and desire, as Orochimaru pored over the book of evil.

Having served him for over four years, Kabuto had only learned of the Necronomicon's existence after Orochimaru betrayed Akatsuki a few days earlier.

Orochimaru had warned him that if he wasn't prepared, he should never open the book. The mysterious knowledge and strange theories within could overwhelm the mind of an ordinary person in an instant.

Thus, Kabuto had never touched the book, not even its cover.

In fact, Orochimaru treated the Necronomicon as a treasure, never letting anyone else handle it. However, on occasion, he would read portions of the book aloud to Kabuto, satisfying his growing curiosity.

"That is not dead which can eternal lie,

And with strange aeons even death may die."

Orochimaru read with a deep breath.

"These words were written by Abdul Alhazred after he dreamt of this place at night and then composed this verse."

"Confusing, isn't it?"

"Well, it should be. After all, Abdul didn't even want to mark the exact location of this place in the main text."

"He was utterly mad—there's no doubt about that. But what could be hidden in a place that even a madman feared?"

"How insignificant we are..."

As Orochimaru mused, lost in thought, Kabuto quietly stared at the Necronomicon.

Judging by the gold lettering on the cover and the quality of the paper, it seemed like a modern product. Could the author actually be a contemporary person?

But the author's name was oddly long and strange.

Had Orochimaru been deceived by someone?

Though Kabuto had his suspicions, he didn't dare voice them, because Orochimaru was already deeply captivated by the book.

In the black desert night, they waited for hours until the stars began to fade. The sky turned grayish white, then slowly transformed into a rosy glow edged with gold.

They knew then that dawn had arrived.

Orochimaru quickly packed up and left the resting spot, with Kabuto hurrying to follow.

When they reached the entrance of the Nameless City, Orochimaru's joy intensified. This joy manifested as a subtle tremor in his feet and shoulders as he sat atop his camel.

Though the place was called a city, time and the relentless desert winds had eroded it until it resembled the size of the other ruins in the Demon Desert.

Standing before the city, one couldn't easily glimpse the grandeur it once held.

Riding his camel, Kabuto scanned the surroundings with the advantage of height. Yet, strangely, he found no inscriptions or carvings indicating who had built the city.

Observing closely, he realized that the city was much larger than the ruins visible on the surface.

Faint traces of buildings buried beneath the sand hinted at walls or foundations, structures preserved by the very sands that covered them.

If he included the range of these foundations, Kabuto could imagine how vast this place must have once been. It could have been a civilization on par with Suna.

And where they were standing might not even be the city's true entrance, but merely an archway.

Riding back and forth on camels through the city, Orochimaru and Kabuto found nothing worth investigating except for the desolate ruins eroded by wind and sand.

Except for one thing—a massive stone temple stood in the city center.

As they approached the temple's dark, deep entrance, a cold wind suddenly blew out, making Kabuto shiver.

His senses sharpened. Why was it so cold in this scorching desert?

But before he could think further, Orochimaru had already urged his camel forward toward the temple.

"Let's go inside," Orochimaru said.

"Kabuto."